those troubled by bosa. they were unawar of the troubles when they put him on the stand eaier this week. many sponsors have dropped contracts with the man known as blade runner, including nike who just hours ago confirmed suspending his contract with the former olympian. well, here we go again. another massive dose of winter is coming for a big portion of the country. the leading edge of the storm blanketed parts of arizona to colorado. now it is moving into the midwest and forecasters in some states are predicting as much as a foot of snow. nbc's jay gray is in kansas city where the storm has already led to the cancellation of a popular golf tournament. jay, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, mara. bitter cold with the wind gusting at more than 20 miles an hour. snowflakes expected within the next few hours here. and forecasters warn at the

height of the storm the snow could be falling at more than an inch every hour. this morning the midwest is waking up to a blast of winter weather. >> the latest winter storm has everything with it, freezing rain, some ice and heavy snow. >> reporter: that snow has already started to fall across the region including parts of oklahoma, arkansas, colorado and kansas. shovels are out and plows are already working, but if the forecast holds, they may not be able to keep up with the pace. some areas expect blizzard conditions and accumulations of two feet or more before it's over. so before it gets that bad, many are making sure they stock up on supplies to ride out the storm. >> i live far enough out of town that it's not convenient and we have enough roads in the country that do get rather snowbound. >> reporter: some roads and highways are already slick leading to accidents and patrol officers warn it's going to get worse.

>> if you don't need to go out, we are asking people to stay off the roadways just because of the conditions that are deteriorating. >> reporter: and will be, forecasters say, for at least the next 24 hours. this is a live look at wichita, kansas, where you can see near whiteout conditions there. snow falling at more than an inch an hour. that is the same system that's going to deliver a punch here in kansas city and across the midwest. and again, before it's all said and done later this evening, many areas, including this one, could see a foot or more on the ground. that's the latest live here in kansas city, mara, back to you. >> thank you so much for that, jay. congress is in recess this week but a few democrats are coming to work on capitol hill today. they're looking into the impact of the sequester. $85 billion in federal spending cuts that go effect in just eight days unless lawmakers cut a deal. what does that mean for you? nbc's tracie potts has details on some of the many programs that are on the chopping block.

tracie, good morning. >> reporter: mara, good morning. three quarters of the job losses, most of them from the pentagon. leon panetta says they are going after folks to furlong one day a month. look at this, the effects of 750,000 jobs, small business loans reduced by $902 million. we are talking 1,000 fbi agents gone. 600,000 people drop from wic, that's food for women and infants and children. more than 100,000 homeless, possibly back on the streets. and a number of other areas, education, national parks, that could be affected if congress can't come up with some solution within the next week. mara? >> tracie potts live in washington. thank you so much. tea party activists are blasting governor rick scott of florida for changing his mind on medicaid expansion. governor scott now says he will support using president obama's

affordable health care act to provide medical coverage for floridians. he opposed obama care as a, quote, job killer. scott now calls it common sense but florida lawmakers will make the final decision. time now for the national weather forecast, and bill karins is here. >> we showed you the radar, very impressive in kansas. one of the biggest snowstorms they have seen for wichita, kansas city and topeka, kansas. this is kind of the next 24 hours. the timeline, if you have travel for family or friends, the worst of it in northern oklahoma, missouri, kansas, nebraska, iowa and eventually tonight into illinois and chicago. but for them, just a glancing blow, not as much. the highest snowfall totals will be in the pink shading here. 6 to 12 inches is a pretty wide swath of 6 to 12 inches of snow. the little area near i-35 north of wichita and kansas city, possibility of over a foot. there's a lot of cold air behind

the storm through the inner mountain west. a lot of the cold air remains settled over much of the west from seattle, 46. phoenix this morning is at 40 along with friends in vegas. and that's not factoring in the breeze with the windchill. the storm itself is gone, so that's good. and now we have another storm diving down in the northwest. it does have some rain with it with snow at the highest elevations. we have winter weather advisories for the cascades, but for the most part a light rain moving down from the northwest with this. hopefully the olympics will shadow a little bit. we won't get a lot of heavy rain in areas like seattle, but you won't see showery-type weather. temperatures get near 50 degrees and a slow recovery for our warm weather friends in southern cal and arizona. that's a look at wintry mix in temperature high of 38.

the northwest stays stormy the next few days with possibilities of light rain showers and snow showers. >> thank you, bill. coming up after the break, we'll have the latest on a plane crash out of nashville that killed five. plus congressman jesse jackson jr. has pleaded guilty, but now the fight to limit his jail time begins. and take a look at this. sun spots that have the ability to swallow six earths, but that's the least of our concerns. we'll explain. we are back in two minutes.

welcome back. here are some other stories making news this morning. in syria a car bomb exploded in downtown damascus near the headquarters of the ruling party. oppositions say mostly civilians were killed. the blast went off at a security checkpoint between the government building and the russian embassy. five people are dead after a late night plane crash in eastern georgia. seven passengers were aboard the aircraft when it ran off the runway. the two survivors were injured but officials have not released

further details about their conditions. the white house is quietly moving to have the supreme court overturn the california ban on same-sex marriage. president obama told a tv station he doesn't want to inject himself too much in the process. the high court will take up two cases surrounding same-sex marriage later this year. former congressman jesse jackson jr. pleaded guilty to using some $750,000 in campaign funds as a personal piggy bank. he'll be sentenced in june and could get more than four years in prison. former six-term chairman pete domence said he had an affair of a 24-year-old woman. and look at this sun spot big enough to swallow six earths whole. nasa says it could trigger solar flares interrupting cell service or satellite. turning to health news, the fda approved a new type of breast plant containing silicone

gel. this new one is the fourth approved silicone gel available in the u.s. designed to be firming, cohesive and safer than previous models. silicone implants were banned from 1992 to 2006 over fears of causing cancer and other illnesses. but research eventually ruled out most of the concerns. >> announcer: "early today" health is brought to you by vagisil cream. turning to business, wall street opens on a low note. the dow dropped 108 points, the s&p tumbled 19 and the nasdaq sank 49. the pain continues today with the nikkei tumbling 159 points while the hang seng shot down 400. on wall street, the battle over apple's stockpile of cash continues, today, hedge fund manager david einhorn will try to sell shareholders on his suggestion that apple should distribute preferred stock to disburse its $170 billion in cash. before the bell, walmart reports earnings last week and internal e-mails suggested sales

have been stopped at the nation's largest retailer. investors will be paying close attention to today's existing home sales report at 10:00 a.m. yesterday's unexpected decline in housing starts sparked a selling frenzy. tomorrow, boeing is expected to pitch to faa officials a final plan to get dreamliner back into service. meanwhile, carnival is slapped with a lawsuit seeking class-action status for physical and emotional anguish and punitive damages for the 3,000-plus passengers stranded on the "triumph." "the new york times" is selling the boston globe after owning it for almost 20 years. sony unveiled the first new playstation in seven years calling it the super charged pc. no word yet on what that will cost. google has released a new video on the yet to be released internet glasses. warby parker to help jazz up the specs. immigration and customs officials have uncovered a scheme to illegal import chinese honey, prompting this honey press release from new york

senator chuck schumer. quote, "this successful sting operation is sure to be a buzz kill creating a sticky situation. we need a zero tolerance policy when it comes to honey laundering." ha-ha. finally, this home from the boss wrote "born to run" can be yours for $349,000, and it is just one block from the jersey shore. coming up, the first of its kind at the nfl tryouts. and an unusual snowstorm in arizona causes a delay for baseball and golf. plus, this is how one representative reacts to new legislation he opposes. can you guess what it's about? there's a clue. you're watching "early today."

welcome back. now to some other stories that caught our eye this morning. we start in missouri with new video of that massive explosion at a kansas city landmark. the powerful blast leveled jj's restaurant and torched nearby businesses. so far, one body has been found and investigators are racing to piece together what happened before an approaching snowstorm wipes out key evidence. in new jersey, terrifying footage has surfaced from a january accident. dash cam and surveillance video show a commuter bus ramming into a school bus before crashing into a tree. fortunately there were no students on the school bus but rescue crews pulled 19 injured people from that commuter bus. in georgia a vicious attack

of a female corrections officer was caught on tape. fortunately inmates stepped in to stop the beating. the victim suffered minor injuries, and two officers were fired after officials learn they were not monitoring the room. and eric burlson is raising some eyebrows after taking a stance on guns. a republican lawmaker a gun sponsored bill to gun owners, he fired multiple bullets into the bill to show the opposition. in sports, a double overtime thrill in college basketball, number nine kansas and number 14 oklahoma state went to a second overtime with a short jumper with 16.5 seconds left to give the jayhawks the lead. kansas edges out the cowboys 68-67. earlier kansas coach bill south drew up a new play for the team, the harlem shake. and the players had fun putting on costumes and dancing around the locker room. and in oregon the last second buzzer beater gave the titans a championship for their conference tournaments.

the crowd went wild. 11-year-old julian newman plays on his high school varsity basketball team even though he's only 4'5" tall. the fifth grader can really dribble, pass and shoot and hopes to make it to the nba one day. in arizona a rare snowstorm blanketed a baseball spring training facility in scotsdale, so baseball will just have to wait for the field to thaw out. not far away they started the opening round of the wgc-accenture match play golf championship but the falling snow forced them to stop play. golfers bubba watson and ricky fowler made the most with an impromptu snowball fight. way to pass the time. and lauren silberman will be the first to compete at the nfl combine to test potential players. she'll show her skills as a kicker. though the odds are long, we certainly wish her good luck. just ahead, action star sylvester stallone comes clean about his secret fears. plus, the latest on this winter storm that could drop two feet of snow in some areas. we're back after these quick messages.

welcome back to "early today." bundle up today in southern california with temperatures in the upper 30s to lower 40s. windchills in the 30s today. it will be a struggle with a decent amount of sunshine this afternoon, highs in the upper 50s near vegas and san francisco. sacramento, same for you. the northwest seeing light rain today moving in. we'll continue with a little better chance of maybe more amounts up to half an inch to

quarter inch throughout friday. a little rainy and wet in the northwest, but chilly in almost all areas. >> thank you so much, bill. it's time for entertainment. which big action star is afraid of heights? it's not schwarzenegger, it's not willis, but stallone, the star of "cliffhanger." in a recent interview, the film's director outed stallone's fears quoting the actor saying, the highest i'll go is the heel of my cowboy boots. he had to slowly coax stallone up on the 13,000-foot mountain they shot on. "america's got talent" has found its newest judge in spice girl mel b. aka scary spice. she'll be joining howard stern and howie mandel when the show kicks off this summer. the show's producers confirmed they are not causing it the 85th academy awards anymore because it sounds old and musty. instead they are going with the oscars in hopes of the bringing in the hip viewers like me and bill.

and with the big show happening sunday, nbc asks what's the best picture? "argo" is number one with 59% of the vote. there's still time to choose your vote. go to nbc.com. have you seen "argo"? >> i have. >> they won't match up director and picture, but a great film anyway. the next one comes to us from our affiliate in detroit, michigan. where in nearby lake shore social media is helping keep up with the times and the family. facebook has helped marguerite joseph keep up with her past and present. she's legally blind and deaf, but that hasn't stopped her from logging on to the website. she's had a page for two years and each day her granddaughter helps her respond to messages from family and friends. what a good granddaughter. >> i'm mara schiavocampo, and this is "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station.

one russian woman using an online mapping service got more than she bargained for. hoping to check out a street view of her home, she found her boyfriend getting cozy with other woman. when she confronted him, he admitted cheating and said it was stupid. the couple has since split up. no surprise there. firefighters saved the day for an ailing koala bear stuck in a tree. the koala had an injured leg and was taken to the vet for extra care. rescue techs say the little guy eventually would have come down on his own but probably would have been attacked by a dog.

good thing that didn't happen. well, good deeds still have their merits. after withdrawing $3200 from his bank, a chinese man stepped outside only to have a gust of wind sweep away the cash and scatter it along the sidewalk. passersby helped him scoop up the money and returned it to him. he did post a sign at the bank thanking the good samaritans. and this pup's name is victory. she was born with deformed front legs and relies on her hind legs to get around. the chihuahua was dropped at the vet a couple weeks ago. she was shy as an occupational therapy dog. somebody said this is a kangaroo dog. she looks like a kangaroo. she's making do, but sometimes they have a little cart for them. >> yeah, with the wheels. usually it is the back legs. >> she can maybe push off with the hind legs. >> i want the update on that story, please.

time for an early look at some other stories we'll follow here on nbc. the u.n. security council will meet to discuss north korea as it has been just over a week since north korea successfully conducted the nuclear test and since kim jong-un took power in december 2011. a detective killed in the man hunt for christopher dorner will be laid to rest today. 35-year-old jeremiah mckay was killed after exchanging gunfire with dorner. he's survived by a wife and two children. and happy birthday to former "frasier" star kelsey grammer. he turns 58 today. all day long you can stay on top of the very latest developments on those stories and the best political analysis on msnbc. and tonight, be sure to watch "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. and, finally, here's a look at what's coming up later this morning on the "today" show. details on new research that may answer the age-old question, why do women talk so much more than men? and a texas mom tells the emotional and uplifting story of the miraculous surgery that saved her baby daughter's life. now keep it on this channel

for continuing local news, weather, sports and more. i'm mara schiavocampo. thanks for watching "early today." just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station. have a great one.

happening right now. a courtroom shocker in south africa. see what happened at the oscar pistorius bail hearing just a short time ago. the lead investigator was dismissed and now facing murder charges of his own. also new this morning, president obama says he may intervene in california's controversial proposition 8. and overnight developments that could help pave the way for the a's to move to san jose. a live look outside. a cool look outside.

literally and figuratively on this thursday, february 21st. this is "today in the bay." it is 4:30, everybody. good morning to one and all. i'm jon kelley. >> i'm laura garcia-cannon. lots to get to this morning. let's check the forecast with meteorologist christina loren. good morning. >> good morning to you, laura and jon. good morning to you at home. thanks for waking up with us at this very early hour. temperatures this morning are more mild than this time yesterday. we do have return of low cloud cover. we'll let you know where the fog is thickest this morning. a good looking day shaping up. changes just around the corner and so is that weekend. your forecast is moments away. first, want to check your drive at 4:31. good morning, mike. >> good morning. we'll track that fog that will affect your drive in many spots throughout the bay area. right now we have a clear view of 880 through